Hampton Court Palace

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Hampton Court Palace The home of Henry VIII and the Tudor dynasty. At Historic Royal Palaces, we want our palaces and online presence to be welcoming spaces for everyone.
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Cared for by Historic Royal Palaces, the charity who love and look after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. The flamboyant Henry VIII is most associated with this majestic palace, which he extended and developed in grand style after acquiring it from Cardinal Wolsey in the 1520s. He lavished money on fabulous tapestries and paintings, housed and fed a huge court and pursued a succession of wives, political power and domination over Rome. The Tudor buildings which remain are among the most important in existence, but the elegance and romance of the palace owes much to the elegant baroque buildings commissioned by William and Mary at the end of the 17th century. The palace is surrounded by formal gardens and acres of parkland with a deer that are descendants of the herd once hunted by the Tudor king. The history we share on our social media channels is rooted in rigorous research conducted by our team of professional historians and curators. We tell the stories of the monarchs you know and the lives you don’t. We ask that people commenting on our social media posts do so in an appropriate manner that is respectful of others commenting and of those who work with and for us. We ask that comments are not offensive, threatening, disruptive, inappropriate, off-topic, spamming or commercial in nature. We also ask that comments do not focus on other peoples’ appearance (either positive or negative), unless it’s specific to the topic of a post. For details of how we moderate social media posts, please read our Social Media Moderation Policy https://www.hrp.org.uk/about-us/policies/social-media-moderation-policy/. Comments on our page are post-moderated - if you wish to report anything inappropriate, please message us, or you can report comments using Facebook’s reporting tools. Our moderation policy is in accordance with Facebook's community standards: https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards and our own house rules linked to above. Please note that comments made by others do not represent the views of Historic Royal Palaces.

02/10/2026

Henry VIII’s right-hand man... Thomas Wolsey 👑

Originally shaped by Wolsey in 1514, Hampton Court went from being a modest manor... to one of the most fashionable palaces in the country. Yet only a small portion of the palace remains from this era before Henry VIII took over.

📍Visit what's left of Wolsey's Hampton Court in the Wolsey Rooms at the palace.

When October hits and we're ready for spooky season at Hampton Court Palace 🎃 This October, explore Henry VIII's haunted...
01/10/2026

When October hits and we're ready for spooky season at Hampton Court Palace 🎃

This October, explore Henry VIII's haunted palace... 👻 From ghostly stories, atmospheric projections, eerie sound effects and familiar faces haunting the grounds, will you visit during the spookiest time of the year? 🕸️

Halloween at Hampton Court Palace 🦇
📅 24 October - 01 November 2026
🎟️ Included in palace admission
👉 https://bit.ly/hampton-court-halloween

Open up the door... 🚪We love this golden hour view through Anne Boleyn's Gateway at Hampton Court Palace 🤩
23/09/2026

Open up the door... 🚪

We love this golden hour view through Anne Boleyn's Gateway at Hampton Court Palace 🤩

10/09/2026

How was the Bayeux Tapestry made? 🪡

Despite its name, which likely comes from the French ‘tapisserie' meaning ‘tapestry' or ‘hanging', the Bayeux Tapestry is actually not a tapestry at all…but rather an embroidery!

Our Chief Curator Eleri Lynn joins Senior Stitcher Marg Dier in the Royal School of Needlework studio at Hampton Court Palace to find out more about how this incredible artwork would have been made.

🪡 Marg demonstrates the Bayeux stitch on one of the embroidery kits she has designed for the British Museum's landmark exhibition.

09/09/2026

How do we remember Katherine of Aragon? 👑

Jaz and the SIX Queens (2025-26 West End Cast) joined Chief Historian Tracy Borman at Hampton Court Palace to uncover the lives, achievements and influence of the six Tudor queens.

Our new Teach the Six Queens Differently campaign, grown from an ongoing collaboration with SIX the Musical, takes a fresh look at the queens and invites teachers to go beyond the rhyme.

Find out more and watch the full YouTube series 👉 https://bit.ly/4qndmqK.

📷
Katherine of Aragon © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2025 | Royal Collection Trust
Henry VIII (1491-1547) © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2025 | Royal Collection Trust
The Battle of the Spurs © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2025 | Royal Collection Trust
Queen Isabella I of Spain © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2025 | Royal Collection Trust

07/09/2026

🎄 You're invited to an enchanting ball at Hampton Court Palace 🏰

This Christmas, step inside the Winter Palace where mythical beasts will be gathering to welcome you to a celebration like no other. Are you excited to meet extraordinary creatures in the glowing halls of our palace? 🦄

Winter Palace: The Christmas Beast Ball
📆 28 November 2026 - 3 January 2027
🎟️ Included in palace admission, book tickets now 👉 https://bit.ly/4cnuK9J

Have you ever spotted these carved heads at Hampton Court Palace? 👀These eavesdroppers in the Great Hall served as a con...
03/09/2026

Have you ever spotted these carved heads at Hampton Court Palace? 👀

These eavesdroppers in the Great Hall served as a constant reminder to King Henry VIII’s courtiers that their every word was being overheard. Designed by Master Carpenter James Nedeham, the hammerbeam roof was originally painted in striking blue red and gold. 🖌

02/09/2026

It’s time to Teach the Six Queens Differently 👑

Chief Historian Tracy Borman delves into the extraordinary life of Katherine Parr who, like all of the six Tudor queens, should be remembered beyond how things ended with Henry VIII.

Our new Teach the Six Queens Differently campaign, grown from an ongoing collaboration with SIX, takes a fresh look at the queens and invites teachers to go beyond the rhyme and help students explore the achievements, struggles and legacies of each woman in her own right.

Find out more 👉 https://bit.ly/4cwW1Gc

That feeling after a Bank Holiday Weekend... 😫Anyone else in a sleepy September mood or are you ready for back to school...
01/09/2026

That feeling after a Bank Holiday Weekend... 😫

Anyone else in a sleepy September mood or are you ready for back to school time? 📚

Let the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival begin! 🤩Join us for a wonderful weekend of food and drink from 150 independen...
29/08/2026

Let the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival begin! 🤩

Join us for a wonderful weekend of food and drink from 150 independent brands and producers. This year, we're excited to announce they'll be live cooking demonstrations from some amazing chefs in the Regina Kitchen 👀

🥙Hampton Court Palace Food festival
📅29 - 31 August 2026
🎟️Included in palace admission
👉https://bit.ly/hcpfoodfestival

Address

East Molesey
KT89AU

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